Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the stakeholders that will be invited to participate in the consultative forum on international security policy; the criteria that will be applied to select these stakeholders; if the forum will make findings; if so, how those findings will be agreed; if a report will be published arising from the forum's work; who will author such a report; and if he proposes any further actions of the forum, other than the announced public meetings. [19793/23]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I remind Deputies it is six and a half minutes for every question. There are 30 seconds for the proposer, two minutes for the Tánaiste and then one and one each and a further one and one each. That is six and a half minutes in total, except when questions are grouped. Tosóimid anois.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows that there is no need to remind me. I always stick within time.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We might have a debate on that some other time.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The question concerns the consultative forum on international security policy the Tánaiste has announced. I am sure he is aware that there are huge concerns that this is a vehicle for the Government to undermine Irish military neutrality and non-alignment, something that has served this State incredibly well over many decades. Will the Tánaiste outline the form the forum will take and how stakeholders will be selected to be invited?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not believe there is huge concern that this is an initiative to undermine military neutrality. It might be a huge concern to some who are contriving that huge concern, but nobody is afraid of debate in this country or of a broad conversation about the international situation in terms of Irish foreign policy and the international security policy of the State.

In order to build a deeper understanding of the threats faced by the State and the links to and between our foreign, security and defence policy, I have convened a consultative forum on international security policy. The consultative forum will take place in three locations: at University College Cork on 22 June; at the University of Galway on 23 June; and at Dublin Castle on 26 and 27 June.

The forum will be open, inclusive, and, as the name suggests, consultative. It will involve a wide range of stakeholders, with participation from civilian and military experts and practitioners. Attendance at the forum will consist of Irish and international participants with expertise and practical experience in the areas to be discussed, as well as members of the public. The Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence are consulting with academic, civil society, research and State agency partners to identify a wide range of speakers and participants who represent a breadth of experience and views. Discussions will be livestreamed and there will be an option for online submissions. Anyone interested in engaging in the process will be able to do so. Full details of the arrangements for registration, livestreaming and the making of submissions will be published by the Departments of foreign affairs and defence in the coming weeks.

The forum will be chaired by Louise Richardson DBE, formerly vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford and principal and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews, who will produce a report to be delivered following its conclusion. The forum will involve a broad discussion examining the threats we face, including cyber, hybrid, disinformation and threats to critical infrastructure. It will also provide for detailed discussion on Ireland’s work to protect the rules-based international order, through our engagement in peacekeeping, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as well as arms control and disarmament. Importantly, there are no predetermined or preconceived outcomes from discussions at the forum and participants will be free to raise any relevant issue during deliberations.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The concerns are genuine and deeply held because Irish neutrality has served us very well. The Tánaiste did not refer to Irish neutrality. It appears the forum will not have a mechanism to analyse how well military neutrality and non-alignment have served us.

The Tánaiste says that his Department will identify potential experts. Who will select those experts and what criteria will be used? The Tánaiste stated that it will be open, but then indicated that members of the public can make submissions online. Will members of the public be able to attend or watch online but not to directly participate in the forum? I will have further questions but ask particularly about the experts and how they will be selected to participate. Everybody knows when dealing with such forums that the selection of experts can skew the tone and direction of debate.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I regret the knee-jerk antagonistic approach the Deputy is taking to this. As soon as I announced it, the Deputy was out like a flash saying it was a threat to military neutrality. Why is the Deputy afraid of such debate? Why is he afraid of this country having an informed, open and public discussion about broader issues of the international threats facing the world and which Ireland has to work within? This consultative forum is not about a binary choice between military neutrality or joining or not joining an alliance. It is much broader than that. As I have outlined, it will take on board disarmament, as well as peacekeeping and conflict prevention, which have been the hallmark of Irish foreign policy for quite some time.

The Deputy is playing politics with this, banging the drum and playing to a base to the detriment of a genuine, informed public debate, which is healthy in a democracy. The Deputy should not be as opposed to democratic debate as he is. He should not be concerned. I will not try to orchestrate this debate as, perhaps, his party would on many other issues. Be a bit more open and trusting of people.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Perhaps if the Tánaiste had a better attitude, it would be easier to trust his bona fides on this issue. Nobody is afraid of open public and informed debate. The question I have posed is how the Tánaiste will ensure that these are genuinely open, public and informed debates. He referred to the chair of the consultative forum. I have no doubt Ms Richardson is an able and diligent person with expertise in her own right. Nobody doubts that. She also has very firm views that she has put on the record. The Tánaiste suggested that following the meetings of the consultative forum, Ms Richardson will write the report. There will be no committee. It will be very much her analysis of what is said at the forum. That differs greatly from the citizens' assembly model, which the Tánaiste originally suggested. Perhaps he can correct me on how the final report of the forum will be developed?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I hope we are not going to go down that path. I anticipated this approach: attack the initiative in an immediate way without giving it due consideration, which the Deputy has done. He immediately attacked it. Now he seems to be focusing on the person, which is wrong.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I am asking how the final report will be written.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are talking about a distinguished academic with tremendous credentials, an Irish person who did exceptionally well and, in my view, is an excellent choice to chair the forum. The chair will be asked to compile a report. There is no preconceived or predetermined outcome. It is a consultative forum. It will be open to the public. The public will be able to attend and people will make online submissions, which is the way of the modern world in terms of technology. Government will consider that and then it comes back into the Oireachtas. We took this approach because we understand parties have positions here. This goes to the core of politics. Though some of the principles of the citizens' assembly are applied here, this is open to political representatives as well. We understand people have different perspectives on issues in international relations.